Feed aggregator

Le compte à rebours est lancé pour les Caraïbes. L’Union européenne pose un ultimatum clair à cinq Nations de la région : fermer leurs très […]

L’article L’UE menace les Caraïbes : fin de la citoyenneté par investissement ou retour des visas est apparu en premier sur .

La compagnie aérienne Corsair séduit les voyageurs au départ de Cotonou à destination de Paris-Orly avec ses atouts. Entre une offre de vols adaptée, des services modernisés et un programme de fidélité avantageux, la compagnie propose une expérience de voyage alliant confort, flexibilité et proximité.

L'un des principaux avantages concerne la liaison Cotonou–Orly via Abidjan. Bien qu'une escale soit effectuée à Abidjan, les passagers n'ont pas à changer d'avion ni à récupérer leurs bagages avant de poursuivre leur voyage. Cette formule permet de limiter les contraintes liées aux correspondances classiques tout en offrant un bon compromis entre coût, confort et praticité.

Pour les voyageurs souhaitant rejoindre la France sans escale, Corsair propose également un vol direct entre Cotonou et Orly chaque dimanche, du 19 juillet au 13 septembre 2026. Cette desserte saisonnière s'accompagne de tarifs attractifs ainsi qu'un bagage supplémentaire.

Des tarifs flexibles

La compagnie met aussi en avant une politique tarifaire flexible avec plusieurs formules (Basic, Smart et Flex) afin de répondre aux différents profils de voyageurs. En classes Premium et Business, les passagers bénéficient d'une franchise de deux bagages de 32 kg en soute et de 18 kg en cabine.

Pour son service de qualité, Corsair a été élue « Meilleure compagnie loisirs » lors des World Airline Awards de Skytrax en 2024 et 2025. Son programme de fidélité, Le Club Corsair, permet aux clients de cumuler des euros plutôt que des miles ou des points. La cagnotte, valable pendant 24 mois, peut être utilisée pour régler des billets ou des services et reste transférable sans frais.

Des Airbus A330neo pour un voyage plus confortable

La compagnie présente l'aéroport de Paris-Orly, comme une porte d'entrée privilégiée vers la capitale française. Relié au centre de Paris par la ligne 14 du métro en environ 25 minutes, Orly offre également des tarifs de taxi généralement inférieurs à ceux pratiqués depuis l'aéroport Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle.

Corsair dispose d'une flotte composée d'Airbus A330neo de nouvelle génération, réputés plus silencieux et plus confortables. La compagnie propose également le service de conciergerie de bagages « Check me by Dirby », qui permet l'enregistrement ou la livraison des bagages à domicile ou au bureau.

À Cotonou, Corsair a une équipe locale dédiée pour accompagner les clients, répondre à leurs préoccupations et traiter rapidement leurs demandes, renforçant ainsi sa proximité avec les voyageurs.

La Zone industrielle de Glo-Djigbé (GDIZ) a accueilli cette semaine une délégation de la République centrafricaine dans le cadre d'une mission d'échanges consacrée à l'industrialisation et au développement des chaînes de valeur.

Des représentants des administrations publiques, du secteur privé, des petites et moyennes entreprises (PME), du patronat, de la Chambre de commerce, du mécanisme de dialogue public-privé ainsi que des femmes entrepreneures centrafricaine ont visité la GDIZ. Les responsables ont exposé aux visiteurs le fonctionnement de la GDIZ, présentée comme un levier de transformation locale des matières premières et de promotion des investissements.

Les échanges ont porté sur l'organisation de la zone, son modèle de gouvernance ainsi que les dispositifs mis en place pour attirer les investisseurs et développer des chaînes de valeur compétitives.

Cette mission avait pour objectif de permettre aux participants de s'imprégner de l'expérience béninoise afin d'identifier des pratiques pouvant être adaptées au contexte centrafricain, dans le cadre des efforts engagés pour dynamiser le secteur productif du pays.

À travers cette visite, les deux pays renforcent la coopération et le partage d'expériences sur les stratégies d'industrialisation. Une démarche qui témoigne de la volonté des États africains de s'inspirer des initiatives réussies du continent pour accélérer leur développement économique.

La Coupe du monde 2026 génère des milliards de dollars, mais les bénéfices sont loin d'être répartis équitablement. De la FIFA aux bookmakers, en passant par les compagnies aériennes et les villes hôtes, voici les grands gagnants et les perdants du plus lucratif tournoi de l'histoire.

Le Bénin franchit une nouvelle étape dans la connaissance de son patrimoine marin avec la redécouverte d'un récif corallien en excellent état de conservation, plus de soixante ans après les premières traces attestant de son existence.

Le Bénin redécouvre un récif corallien en bon état soixante ans après sa première découverte. Le récif, situé à environ 22 kilomètres des côtes sur le plateau continental partagé entre le Bénin et le Togo, a été localisé au cours d'une campagne scientifique menée dans le cadre du projet Coreb (Coral Reefs Rediscovering & Exploration in Benin).

Grâce à des équipements de pointe, notamment un sonar et une caméra sous-marine haute définition, les chercheurs ont pu cartographier le site et observer un écosystème particulièrement riche.
Les explorations selon Le Matinal, ont révélé la présence de coraux mous, de coraux noirs ainsi qu'une importante diversité d'espèces de poissons, témoignant du bon état de conservation de cet habitat marin.

La mission, conduite par le chercheur béninois Gérard Zinzindohoué avec l'appui de National Geographic, a permis de confirmer l'existence d'un récif corallien mésophotique, un écosystème situé en profondeur et encore peu étudié à l'échelle mondiale. Ces récifs jouent un rôle essentiel dans le maintien de la biodiversité marine et pourraient constituer des refuges naturels pour de nombreuses espèces.

Les premières preuves de l'existence de ce récif remontaient aux années 1960, lorsque des fragments de coraux avaient été remontés accidentellement dans des filets de pêche. Faute d'explorations approfondies, le site était tombé dans l'oubli.
Cette redécouverte met en lumière le potentiel scientifique et écologique encore largement méconnu des fonds marins du golfe de Guinée. Les chercheurs envisagent désormais de poursuivre les investigations afin de mieux comprendre le fonctionnement de cet écosystème et appellent à la mise en place d'une aire marine protégée pour assurer la préservation durable de ce patrimoine naturel exceptionnel.

F. A. A.

Une jeune femme s'est suicidée, vendredi 17 juillet 2026, à Womey-Mahicodji, un quartier de l'arrondissement de Godomey, dans la commune d'Abomey-Calavi. Le drame fait suite à une histoire d'infidélité entre la victime et son compagnon.

Drame à Womey-Mahicodji. Dans ce quartier de l'arrondissement de Godomey, commune d'Abomey-Calavi, une jeune femme âgée de 24 ans s'est donné la mort par pendaison vendredi 17 juillet 2026.
Selon des sources concordantes, tout est parti de soupçons d'infidélité entre la jeune femme et son compagnon. Le jeune homme avec qui elle vivait, a constaté des conversations jugées suspectes dans son téléphone portable et l'a interpellée. Interrogée, elle avoue entretenir une relation intime avec un autre homme qui lui aurait promis une vie meilleure.
La maman de la jeune femme, alors en Côte d'ivoire, a entrepris une médiation par l'intermédiaire d'une personne qui habite à côté du domicile où la jeune femme vit avec son compagnon.
Ce dernier se rend dans le domicile mais ne parvient pas à rencontrer le jeune femme. Elle se serait enfermée. Après quelques échanges avec le compagnon, il repart et promet de revenir dès que la jeune femme sera prête pour discuter avec lui. Quelques heures après le passage du médiateur, le compagnon, constatant que sa compagne est toujours enfermée, décide de défoncer la porte de leur chambre avec l'aide des voisins pour voir clair dans ce qu'elle faisait.
Une fois la porte défoncée, ils constatent avec stupéfaction, le coprs pendu de la jeune femme. Conduite d'urgence à l'hôpital, elle a été déclarée morte.
Une procédure judiciaire aurait été ouverte afin de faire la lumière sur ce dossier et situer les responsabilités.

F. A. A.

Quelle : © Europäische Union, 2026 - EP

By Maximilian Malawista
UNITED NATIONS, Jul 21 2026 (IPS)

Despite rising geopolitical tensions, trade restrictions and calls to bring production back to domestic shores, the global economy remains more interconnected than it may appear. Trade through global value chains (GVCs) reached historic levels in 2024, according to a new report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

GVCs, the cross-border production networks through which countries exchange materials, services and intermediate inputs used to produce goods and services, accounted for roughly 17 percent of global GDP in real terms between 2022 and 2024. This is up from approximately 16 percent before the 2008 Global Financial Crisis.

The findings stand to challenge expectations that the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions would have on the campaign of de-globalization. GVC trade expanded rapidly before the Global Financial Crisis and later stabilized at historically high levels. Nevertheless, in 2024 inflation-adjusted GVC trade remained close to its 2022 peak, even as total global trade declined slightly from its 2022 level.

The distinction between real and nominal figures is particularly important following years of elevated inflation and volatile commodity prices. Rising prices can inflate the apparent value of international trade without representing an actual increase in the volume of goods and services exchanged. The OECD’s inflation-adjusted figures indicate that cross-border production itself has remained historically high.

Beneath that overall stability, however, industries have moved in markedly different directions. Manufacturing and transportation remain among the sectors most dependent on internationally sourced inputs.

Coke – a carbon-rich fuel produced from coal and primarily used in steelmaking – refined petroleum products, water and air transport, information and communication technology, electronics, rubber, plastics, chemicals, basic metals and motor vehicles all recorded GVC trade exceeding 35 percent of their gross output in 2024, indicating their heavy reliance on cross-border production networks.

While gains were recorded in those sectors, the motor vehicle industry became less internationally integrated over the period examined, falling from the sixth-most internationalized sector in 2011 to tenth in 2024, being overtaken by chemicals, air transport and electronic equipment.

Pharmaceuticals moved in the opposite direction. Despite increased policy attention toward strengthening domestic medical supply chains following the COVID-19 pandemic, pharmaceutical production became more dependent on internationally sourced inputs between 2011 and 2024.

GVC participation also increased notably in air transport and warehousing, highlighting the continued importance of globally connected logistics networks in supporting production.

The differences illustrate the uneven nature of supply-chain reconfiguration: while some industries have reduced their reliance on foreign inputs, others have become increasingly integrated into cross-border production networks.

The same pattern is visible across national economies. Of the 80 economies examined by the OECD, 49 had a higher share of foreign value added embedded in their exports in 2024 than in 2011.

Across the economies examined, countries generally relied more heavily on foreign inputs to produce their exports than they contributed inputs to exports produced elsewhere. For example, a country importing foreign-made components to manufacture and export a car is participating backward in a GVC. A country supplying steel that is then used to manufacture and export that car elsewhere is participating forward.

These patterns vary depending on the structure of each economy. Large economies such as the United States, China and Brazil are generally less reliant on foreign inputs because more of their production can be sourced domestically. Major commodity exporters such as Norway and Kazakhstan, meanwhile, rank highly in forward participation because their domestically-produced energy and raw materials become inputs in production and exports elsewhere.

Yet, increased GVC participation does not necessarily mean companies are simply buying more supplies from abroad.

Between 2019 and 2024, China, Japan, the United States and the European Union all became more reliant on foreign value in their exports. However, the OECD found that this was not primarily because companies shifted toward foreign suppliers. Instead, these economies increasingly produced and exported goods and services that themselves relied more heavily on international supply chains.

For example, an economy could begin sourcing more car parts domestically but simultaneously increase its exports of cars, which depend heavily on globally connected production networks. Its individual supply chains may become more domestic, while its overall economy becomes more integrated into global production.

The findings suggest that efforts to bring parts of production closer to home can therefore occur alongside deeper global economic integration.

Trade flows – the movement of goods and services across borders – only captures part of that interconnectedness. Multinational companies (MNCs) also operate and produce directly in foreign markets through foreign affiliates — companies they own or control outside their home country.

If a German MNC owns a factory in the United States, that American operation is a foreign affiliate. Products it manufactures and sells within the United States would not count as international trade, as they never crossed a border, yet the factory remains part of the German company’s global production network.

In 2023, foreign affiliates generated approximately USD 25.6 trillion in output, equivalent to one-quarter of global GDP and only slightly below the USD 26.6 trillion value of total world trade in goods and cross-border services.Together, MNCs and their foreign affiliates accounted for roughly 35 percent of world gross output in 2023 but only 60 percent of world exports, demonstrating their outsized role in international trade.

The geography of MNC production is also gradually broadening. While companies headquartered in OECD economies still controlled nearly 85 percent of foreign-affiliate output in 2023, the share of production involving non-OECD companies operating in non-OECD markets, nearly doubled from 4.9 percent in 2011 to 9.3 percent.

The report’s findings suggest that globalization is not simply retreating in the face of geopolitical fragmentation, rather global production is being reorganized across industries, companies and countries. Supply chains may be shifting, diversifying and adapting to new risks, but the networks connecting the global economy remain deeply entrenched and central to the production of goods and services.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');  

  

 

Nelson Mandela, the former President of South Africa, addresses a press conference at UN Headquarters in New York in December 1991. Credit: UN Photo/John Isaac

By UN News
UNITED NATIONS, Jul 21 2026 (IPS)

Sixty-seven minutes. That is how long volunteers spent serving lunch to people experiencing food insecurity at Refettorio Harlem in New York City last week – one for every year Nelson Mandela gave to public service.

Diplomats stood alongside city officials and neighbourhood volunteers, dishing out plates rather than platitudes, in a small but pointed answer to a question the UN spent Monday asking in more formal terms: what does Mandela’s legacy actually demand of us now?

That question sat at the centre of the General Assembly’s commemoration of Nelson Mandela International Day, where the focus fell squarely on poverty and inequality – and on whether the world is living up to the example Mandela set.

Courtenay Rattray, Chef de Cabinet of the Secretary-General, addresses the General Assembly on the observance of the annual Nelson Mandela International Day. Credit: UN Photo/Loey Felipe

‘The wrong choices’

Secretary-General António Guterres, speaking through his Chef de Cabinet, Courtenay Rattray, did not mince words.

Mandela understood that the world’s deepest problems come from human decisions – and can therefore be undone by different ones, Mr. Rattray said.

Right now, he warned, the world is doing the opposite: pouring resources into militaries while poverty and development needs go underfunded. “There is something deeply wrong when we spend more on the instruments of destruction and death than on the tools of development and peace,” he said.

South African journalist and broadcaster Redi Tlhabi, addresses the General Assembly on the observance of the annual Nelson Mandela International Day. Credit: UN Photo/Loey Felipe

Beyond the myth

The sharpest words of the morning came from South African journalist Redi Tlhabi, the observance’s keynote speaker, who pushed back against the softened, reconciliatory image of Mandela that has settled into global memory.

She called him the “Inconvenient Mandela” – a man who stayed principled through imprisonment rather than negotiate his way out of it.

“Only free men can negotiate,” she quoted him telling his captors in 1985, when he was offered freedom in exchange for renouncing the struggle.

Reconciliation, she argued, was never where Mandela started. Justice was. “He never asked his oppressed to become comfortable with injustice. He asked the world to become uncomfortable with injustice,” she said.

Ms. Tlhabi turned that history into a direct challenge for today’s diplomats, pointing to the decades-long stalemate over reforming the UN Security Council – including the case for a permanent African seat – as proof that talk without risk changes little. “What are you prepared to risk for justice?” she asked the room.

General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock addresses the General Assembly on the observance of the annual Nelson Mandela International Day. Credit: UN Photo/Loey Felipe

Remembrance into action

Annalena Baerbock, President of the General Assembly, opened proceedings by insisting that Mandela Day must mean more than a moment of reflection. The point, she said, is to honour his legacy “not only through remembrance but through action.”

Volunteers from the United Nations and the diplomatic community preparing and serving meals at Refettorio Harlem to mark Nelson Mandela International Day. Credit: United Nation/Beatriz D’Alessand

That is where Harlem comes back in. The Refettorio Harlem meal service was one of a series of volunteer projects the UN ran with city partners to mark the day, and it gave literal shape to Ms. Baerbock’s point.

Shaffiou Assoumanou, representing Mayor Mamdani’s office for International Affairs, put it plainly: “History won’t judge us by the words we take, but by the actions we take.”

It was a modest event by UN standards – no cameras in the General Assembly Hall, no resolutions attached. But it echoed the same argument running through the day’s speeches: that Mandela’s fight against poverty and exclusion was never only an institutional project.

It played out in neighbourhoods, in shared meals, in the everyday choice to show up. Sixty-seven minutes at a time.

IPS UN Bureau

 

Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');  

  

 

La vague de canicule qui touche l’Algérie est loin de s’essouffler. L’Office national de la météorologie (ONM) a émis de nouveaux bulletins météorologiques spéciaux (BMS) annonçant […]

L’article Canicule en Algérie : la vague de chaleur se prolonge jusqu’à jeudi, plusieurs wilayas sous alerte est apparu en premier sur .

La brigade de recherche et d’intervention (BRI) de la police judiciaire d’Alger a frappé fort. 48 heures d’investigations ciblées ont suffi à démanteler un réseau […]

L’article Une saisie d’une valeur de 38 milliards : coup de filet majeur contre un réseau criminel à Alger est apparu en premier sur .

Une délégation congolaise de haut rang a posé ses valises à Alger ce lundi 20 juillet 2026. Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso, ministre de la Coopération […]

L’article Industrie : le Congo se tourne vers l’Algérie pour un partenariat stratégique est apparu en premier sur .

Introduction

North Macedonia is a small country of 1.8 million people in the Western Balkans, a region that has proven to be an important source of foreign fighters joining the ranks of the Islamic State, often taking their families with them. It is also one of the few places, where governments have actively repatriated their citizens following the end of the Caliphate. Amongst the Western Balkan states, North Macedonia and Kosovo stand out as they have not only allowed women and children to return but men too, and in some cases actively brought them home, a step considered socially and politically unfeasible in most European countries. However, North Macedonia suffers deep socio-economic divides along ethnic and religious lines, combined with weak and underfunded governmental institutions often not equipped to carry out adequate rehabilitation and reintegration. These conditions can bring about a number of challenges that can have long-term social and security implications regarding repatriated, but not adequately rehabilitated and reintegrated returnees. These challenges are explored below.

North Macedonians in Syria and Iraq

It is estimated that between 143-150 North Macedonians travelled to Syria and Iraq to join the Islamic State and possibly other terrorist groups. Most of these were men, but at least ten women have also left. As with most European countries, return was possible to North Macedonia at the start of the conflict, before the official establishment of the Caliphate in June 2014, without legal consequences. In line with European practice, North Macedonia criminalized people participating in conflicts outside of the country’s territory with a change in the country’s Criminal Code in September 2014. Since then, this charge brings with it a prison sentence of at least five years.

However, it does not seem to apply for women, as their participation in any conflict would be difficult to prove given their role being restricted once in Syria. In other European states, such as the Netherlands, Germany, France or Belgium, alternatively, women were charged with recruitment, providing financial support, inciting others to travel or simply being members of a terrorist organisation. In some cases, women who joined the Islamic State were subject to cumulative prosecution, whereas they were prosecuted for core international crimes, including for their involvement in (sexual) slavery as a crime against humanity.1 Despite these alternative possibilities and examples of other countries, women have not been prosecuted in North Macedonia for their affiliation with and travel to the Islamic State.

A policy of repatriation, rehabilitation and reintegration

The North Macedonian government adopted its National Plan for Reintegration, Resocialization and Rehabilitation of Returnees for Foreign Armies and Members of their Families (Women and Children) in June 2020. In line with its obligations stemming from this National Plan, the government has taken an active role in repatriating its citizens from Syria and Iraq. Contrary to most European states, North Macedonia has actively brought back not only women and children, but men too. In addition to those who returned voluntarily at the beginning of the conflict, the government has carried out three separate waves of repatriation between August 2018 and July 2021, resulting in the return of 11 men, eight women and 14 children. Together with those who returned voluntarily, the total number of returnees as of 2025 was 102, according to governmental sources.

Based on the North Macedonian government’s own reporting, as of 2025, 76 returnees (it is assumed that all are men) have been prosecuted, while 11 men were at that point still incarcerated (four of whom have since likely been released). The minimum prison sentence handed down for participating in a foreign conflict is five years, the maximum sentence received by a foreign fighter returnee was, as of 2023, 18 years: a combined sentence of eight years for spreading Islamic State propaganda in addition to a ten-year prison sentence for participation in a foreign army and recruitment. Nine men who were released during the course of 2023/2024, and an additional 26 women and their family members have undergone rehabilitation and reintegration by the end of 2025.

Women, as they do not face prosecution, have the possibility to enter rehabilitation and reintegration upon arrival. However, this is voluntary. Rehabilitation and reintegration, of both men and women, is led by the Centres for Social Work (CSW) together with members of civil society. There are 30 CSWs, one in most cities, working under the Ministry of Social Policy, Demography, and Youth. They are responsible for carrying out services of social protection, including assisting with the rehabilitation and reintegration of not only those returning from Syria and Iraq, but also of those formerly incarcerated. The CSWs, in partnership with civil society organisations (CSOs), carry out home visits, psychological assessments and aid in a wide range of everyday tasks, such as informing returnees of their rights, assisting with finding housing or work, and maintaining contact with the schools of the children.

Civil society organisations, such as the Macedonian Center for International Cooperation (MCIC), take on additional responsibilities in the rehabilitation and reintegration or returnees. They work not just with the returnees themselves, whether still incarcerated or post-release, but also their family members, as well as those who have never left for Syria and Iraq. Civil society actors provide a safe space for individuals who might be untrusting of state institutions, and act as a bridge between those undergoing rehabilitation and state services. Though women are not prosecuted and therefore in the eyes of the law are considered innocent, it does not mean that they do not constitute a risk to both society and those who work with them. Returnees are therefore monitored by the Agency for National Security, as well as the police who carry out risk assessments to determine the possible risk they pose.

Challenges

1. Returnees and those who have never returned

Due to the government’s commitment to the repatriation of fighters and their family members, there are relatively few North Macedonians who remain in the former territories of the Caliphate, whether actively fighting, imprisoned or in detention camps. According to latest estimates by the government, five North Macedonian men remain actively fighting in the region, while another four are imprisoned in Syria. In addition, approximately four adults (likely all women) remain in camps with an unknown number of children. Interestingly, one North Macedonian has also risen to the rank of Colonel in Syria’s new army: Abdul Samrez Jashari is a designated terrorist and previously was the leader of Xhemati Alban, a predominantly ethnic Albanian militant group that played a role in overthrowing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024.

While the risks associated with possible unwanted returnees entering the country undetected are therefore low, those who have been repatriated and have served their sentences in the past couple of years remain a threat if not rehabilitated properly. As mentioned earlier, participation in rehabilitation and reintegration programmes while in prison and after release is entirely voluntary, and state capacity to carry out these services and to monitor all returnees and their family members is limited. While repatriation is commendable, as it assumes the state takes responsibility for its own citizens, without compulsory, structured and sustained rehabilitation efforts, returnees will continue to pose a security risk at home.

The ideology of the Islamic State remains popular and continues to inspire the formation of cells who actively aim to recruit new members and plan to carry out attacks. Recently, a group of five residents of the capital, Skopje have been charged with publicly calling for and encouraging the formation of a terrorist group based on the ideology of the Islamic State. Previously, a similar cell in the city of Gostivar has also been dismantled. Members of this group planned to carry out terrorist acts against civilian targets and public facilities.

2. Connections to international networks in the region and beyond

Enabling the formation of these cells is the interconnectedness of North Macedonian groups with those of its neighbouring countries. Albania and Kosovo both gave home to a high number of foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq, with around 140 Albanians and between 355-446 Kosovars leaving to fight for the Islamic State. While Albania has only repatriated women and children, Kosovo has been actively repatriating all its citizens. The number of returnees, as well as the religious, ethnic and linguistic overlaps between these countries allow for the quick spread of ideas and people.

One of the most prominent North Macedonian recruits, militant leader turned Salafi2 imam, Rexhep Memishi, who fought in Syria and was arrested in 2016 and sentenced to seven years for recruiting for the Islamic State, has a strong influence across the region. Prior to his arrest, Memishi lectured in Kosovo, from where he was eventually banned due to his radical teachings. Freed in 2023 after serving his sentence, the Albanian ethnic has built up a sizeable social media following not only in his home country, but across other Albanian speaking communities in Albania and Kosovo. Though he is not allowed to actively preach in North Macedonia, other imams in his orbit could likely be influenced by his radical teachings.

Finally, segregation between different ethnic groups (Macedonians and Albanians in the case of North Macedonia) and by extension Christians and Muslims, continues to fuel ethno-nationalist sentiments as well as resentment towards one another, easily exploited by radical groups regardless of the ideology. These tensions as well as the difficult socio-economic situation of some disadvantaged groups make it easier for foreign influence to set foot. Concerns regarding the growing influence of “foreign strains” of Islam, such as political Islam spread by Turkey or the Wahhabi strain3 of Islam exerted by Saudi religious, cultural and social institutions have been present since the 1990s and have grown in recent years.

3. Women who remain radicalised and their children

As mentioned earlier, in North Macedonia, and across the region with a few exceptions, women have not been prosecuted for travelling to Syria and Iraq, for joining the Islamic State, for potentially recruiting other women to do so or for carrying out other activities in the name of the Caliphate influenced by its ideology. Contrary to other European countries, they have also not been subjected to cumulative prosecution for core international crimes or for domestic offences such as child neglect for taking their children to an active war zone. Women returning to North Macedonia are therefore not only under less scrutiny than those who return to Western Europe, but have fewer opportunities to engage in organised rehabilitation and reintegration, as participation in those options presented to them remain voluntary.

This approach fails to acknowledge the multi-dimensional role women can have from harmless victims to willing perpetrators, offenders or even potential security threats. Though returning women are monitored by state services, a lack of state-led, compulsory, long-term rehabilitation programmes for women would enable a better control over the future of returnees. The lack of such programming for women has far-reaching implications for their children as well. Without adequate long-term assistance it is difficult to assess not only whether women remain radicalised (or even actively recruiting), but also to evaluate the environment their children grow up in. Children are rightly so considered victims of this situation, but without adequate programming can turn into perpetrators in the future.

4. Lack of sustainable government investment in P/CVE

In North Macedonia, a strong network of CSOs exists that carry out preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE) programming, among them rehabilitation and reintegration. In lieu of adequate national and local state-led programming, often these organisations assume responsibilities for which they might not have the adequate capacity, funding and legal obligation to do so. Many of these CSOs are active in all three stages of P/CVE4 and carry out a wide range of activities with limited capacity. Due to the lack of governmental support, these organisations are heavily dependent on foreign funding, which not only runs out at the end of each project cycle, hampering sustainability and forward planning, but can be guided by foreign interests. Local government at the same time remains underfunded and understaffed to carry out such activities and to build up experience for future P/CVE programming, such as rehabilitation and reintegration.

Conclusions

Contrary to many other European states, the North Macedonian government has recognised its responsibility in repatriating all its citizens from the battlefields of Syria and Iraq, not just women and children. As a result, very few North Macedonian’s remain in the former territory of the Islamic State and in detention camps where conditions are dire, as most have returned to their home country. While men face prosecution, women are encouraged to enter rehabilitation and reintegration programmes, the participation in which remains voluntary. Such programmes are also heavily reliant on civil society involvement and foreign funding, with most national and local governmental actors lacking the commitment and resources to actively engage with this vulnerable group of individuals. Repatriation, while a step in the right direction, is only efficient as long as it is followed up by sustainable efforts of state-led rehabilitation and reintegration programming. It is not enough to bring people home, if then there is no follow-up plan to make sure they return to society, and do not constitute a security threat in the future.

Footnote

1 Cumulative prosecution or cumulative charging refers to (a) charging multiple distinct crimes based on the same underlying act(s), with the charges presented cumulatively rather than alternatively; (b) prosecuting various acts separately as terrorist offences, core international crimes and other national offences (e.g. travelling to the conflict zone for the purpose of terrorism and the war crime of pillaging or outrages upon personal dignity). Genocide Prosecution Network (2025), p. 8.

2 Salafism is an ultra-conservative, puritanical movement within Sunni Islam that advocates for the return to a pure, unadulterated form of Islam, whose authenticity is exclusively located in the Qur’an, the Sunna and the example of the salaf (early ancestors). Salafism seeks to decontaminate Islam from culture and politics and provides a univocal manual to live one’s life according to strictly defined Islamic principles. Inge, A. (2016)

3 Wahhabism is a religious ideology and movement stemming from the 18th century territory of what is today Saudi Arabia, where it remains the most prominent form of Islam practiced. Wahhabism is considered to adhere to the original, therefore correct interpretation of the general Islamic doctrine, therefore it is often characterized as the most extreme or conservative strain of Sunni Islam. In the literature, the terms Wahhabi and Salafi are often used interchangeably as synonyms, but Wahhabis are also considered a „special orientation within Salafism”, the form Salafism has taken in Saudi Arabia. Its main difference from Salafism relates to legal matters. Inge, A. (2016) and Iliev, A. et al. (2022), p. 190.

4 P/CVE efforts can generally be divided into three main stages: primary, secondary and tertiary. Primary prevention is targeted at eliminating the “breeding grounds” for radicalisation and addressing its root causes. These measures are generally aimed at those at risk of radicalisation, i.e. those who might not be radicalised yet. Secondary prevention is more individually oriented and is focused on the individuals already radicalised or on the verge of radicalising, but who have not yet committed an offence. Finally, tertiary prevention targets the violent behaviour itself, aimed at individuals who have gone down the road of radicalisation and have possibly committed a criminal offence as well. The objective of this stage is disengagement from violent behaviour and rehabilitation and reintegration into society. Gielen, A. (2020), p. 67.

Additional readings

Foreign Terrorist Fighters Knowledge Hub

Genocide Prosecution Network (2025). Cumulative prosecutions of foreign terrorist fighters for core international crimes and terrorism-related offences: An analysis of selected jurisprudence, Eurojust. https://www.eurojust.europa.eu/publication/cumulative-prosecutions-foreign-terrorist-fighters-core- international-crimes-terrorism-related-offences

Gielen, A. (2020). Cutting through Complexity, Evaluating Countering Violent Extremism (CVE), Amsterdam University Press, Amsterdam

Herbach, M., Mehra, T., Renard, T. (2024). Female Jihadis Facing Justice: Comparing Approaches in Europe – Managing Female Violent Extremist Offenders in Europe: A Data-driven Comparative Analysis, International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT). https://icct.nl/sites/default/files/2024- 02/Female%20Jihadis%20Facing%20Justice.pdf

Iliev, A., Grizhev, A., Petrovski, A. (2022). Ideology of modern Wahhabism. Security Horizons, 3(7), 189- 200.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/372376133_IDEOLOGY_OF_MODERN_WAHHABISM

Inge, A. (2016). The making of a Salafi Muslim woman: Paths to conversion, Oxford University Press USA

Kursani, S. (2018). Salafi pluralism in national contexts: the secular state, nation and militant Islamism in Kosovo, Albania, and Macedonia, Southeast European and Black Sea Studies, 18(2), 301–317. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14683857.2018.1474548

Shtuni, A. (2022). The Western Balkans: Repatriated Foreign Terrorist Fighters, Sentencing Trends, and Security Considerations, Program on Extremism at George Washington University. https://extremism.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs5746/files/Western-Balkans- Repatriation_Shtuni_September-2022.pdf

A Repatriation without Rehabilitation? The Case of North Macedonian Foreign Fighters bejegyzés először Biztonságpolitika-én jelent meg.

Le président de la République, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, et le président du gouvernement espagnol, Pedro Sánchez, ont animé ce lundi 20 juillet 2026 un point de […]

L’article Pedro Sànchez : « L’Algérie est un partenaire stratégique et un ami cher » est apparu en premier sur .

A la Cour de répression des infractions économiques et du terrorisme (CRIET), un conducteur de taxi-moto communément appelé « zémidjan », a été condamné à une peine de 10 ans de prison dont 7 ferme. Il est reconnu coupable pour viol sur une fille mineure âgée de 10 ans.

Un taxi-moto condamné par la CRIET pour une affaire de viol sur mineure. Le mis en cause selon l'Institut national de la femme (INF), a abusé sexuellement d'une fillette de 10 ans.
Les faits, selon l'INF, remontent au 10 juin 2025 à Ekè, dans la commune de Sèmè-Podji. La victime, envoyée par sa mère pour acheter de la farine, croise sur son chemin le nommé E. S, un voisin de quartier très connu. Ce dernier, abuse de cette proximité, et la conduit dans sa chambre, puis commet l'irréparable avec elle.
Une procédure judiciaire a été ouverte, et le prévenu fut condamné en janvier, à une peine de 10 ans de prison dont 7 ferme. Il doit aussi payer une amende de 1 million de francs CFA, 500 000 francs CFA de dommages et intérêts à la victime, et le franc symbolique pour l'INF.
Espérant une réduction de sa peine, le prévenu interjette appel de cette décision. La chambre d'appel de la CRIET, lors d'une audience le 20 mai 2026, confirme la décision en première instance en toutes ses dispositions.

F. A. A.

La sixième édition du Championnat national scolaire a pris fin samedi 18 juillet à Grand-Popo, au terme de plusieurs jours de compétitions.

L'édition 2026 du Championnat national scolaire a notamment été marquée par la distribution, pour la première fois, de chaussures de sport adaptées aux différentes disciplines pratiquées.

Organisée par le ministère des Sports et de l'Engagement civique, à travers l'Office Béninois du Sport Scolaire et Universitaire (OBSSU), la compétition est présentée comme un cadre de détection des jeunes talents et de préparation des futures sélections nationales.

Autre moment fort de la manifestation, la participation des sélections nationales féminines U17 et U20, invitées d'honneur. Plusieurs de ces joueuses sont issues des classes sportives mises en place dans les établissements scolaires. Leur présence a suscité un vif enthousiasme parmi les élèves, à quelques semaines de la participation historique des Amazones U20 à la Coupe du monde féminine de la FIFA.

« Je suis particulièrement heureux que cette cérémonie se déroule en présence de nos Amazones U20, qui représenteront prochainement le Bénin à la Coupe du monde féminine de football U20 de la FIFA. Leur parcours est une preuve éclatante que le talent, lorsqu'il est accompagné par le travail, la discipline et la persévérance, peut conduire des terrains de nos écoles jusqu'aux plus grandes compétitions internationales », a déclaré le ministre des Sports et de l'Engagement civique, Benoît Dato.

Le ministre a également adressé un message d'encouragement aux jeunes sportifs. « Le Chef de l'État et son Gouvernement comptent sur vous. Vous êtes la relève. Rien ne vous manquera », a-t-il assuré.

Depuis son lancement, le Championnat national scolaire enregistre une progression constante de ses effectifs. Après 864 participants en 2022, puis 1.080 en 2024, la compétition a atteint cette année le seuil record de 1.488 élèves-athlètes.
M. M.

Dans une initiative marquante visant à dynamiser la coopération sécuritaire et judiciaire bilatérale, l’ambassade des États-Unis en Algérie a officiellement annoncé l’ouverture d’un bureau subsidiaire […]

L’article Le FBI ouvre un bureau à Alger : quel sera son vrai rôle ? est apparu en premier sur .

La Cour de Répression des Infractions Economiques et du Terrorisme (CRIET) a condamné, vendredi 17 juillet 2026, un ancien comptable du Centre de santé de la Police républicaine à cinq ans de prison ferme pour détournement de deniers publics.

Reconnu coupable d'avoir détourné plus de 43 millions de francs CFA au préjudice de l'Etat, un ancien comptable du Centre de santé de la Police républicaine a été condamné à 5 ans d'emprisonnement ferme par la Cour de Répression des Infractions Economiques et du Terrorisme (CRIET).

Le jugement a été rendu, vendredi 17 juillet 2026, selon Libre-express. Les investigations ont établi qu'une somme de plus de 43 millions de francs CFA avait été soustraite des caisses publiques de la structure sanitaire.

Au cours du procès, le ministère public avait défendu la thèse d'un détournement caractérisé et requis une peine plus sévère à l'encontre du prévenu.

Après examen des faits et des éléments versés au dossier, la juridiction spécialisée a retenu la culpabilité de l'ancien comptable.
M. M.

Le quartier Zongo, dans la ville de Glazoué, département des Collines, a été le théâtre d'un incendie ravageur dans la matinée de ce lundi 20 juillet 2026. Aucune perte en vie humaine n'est à déplorer, mais des blessés et d'importants dégâts matériels sont enregistrés.

Incendie à Zongo, un quartier de Glazoué, dans la matinée de ce lundi 20 juillet 2026. Les flammes selon nos sources, se sont déclarées peu avant 8 heures, et ont embrasé plusieurs installations électriques, des ateliers d'artisans, une boutique de prêt-à-porter ainsi que plusieurs habitations.

Le bilan humain fait état de deux blessés dont un cas grave, pris en charge dans un hôpital. Les causes de l'incendie ne sont pas encore identifiées. Selon l'Agence de béninoise de protection civile (ABPC), des bidons d'essence frelatés entassés dans un entrepôt serait à l'origine du drame. Une enquête devrait être ouvrir pour situer les responsabilités et faire la lumière sur cet drame qui a plongé les populations dans la stupeur et le désarroi en ce début de semaine.

F. A. A.

Invité du Grand format de Bip radio, dimanche 19 juillet 2026, Luc Gnacadja a dévoilé l'un des marqueurs de son projet de ville : faire de l'eau, longtemps perçue comme une menace à Cotonou, un atout majeur pour le développement et l'adaptation.

« Cotonou est née aux confluences de l'eau, (...) c'est la ville au rivage de l'eau. Cette confluence a créé des vulnérabilités. Ces vulnérabilités ont certainement amené les populations à la nommer "Coutonou", la ville au rivage de la mort. J'ai l'ambition d'en faire, sans lui changer de nom, "Guétonou" ». C'est par cette formule que le maire Luc Gnacadja a présenté sa vision pour la ville de Cotonou, dimanche 19 juillet 2026, lors de l'entretien Grand format de Bip radio.

Selon les explications du maire de Cotonou, les politiques urbaines ont longtemps été guidées par une volonté de combattre l'eau, alors que l'histoire montre les limites d'une telle approche. « Nous n'allons pas combattre l'eau. L'histoire nous enseigne qu'on n'a jamais gagné contre l'eau. Nous avons été dans une sorte de réflexe défensif par rapport à l'eau. Moi, je voudrais que nous fassions de l'eau un partenaire, un outil, une alliée de croissance et de résilience », a expliqué Luc Gnacadja.

Pour le maire, Cotonou est une ville lacustre. Sur ses 165 quartiers, près d'un tiers comprend des habitats lacustres et « en toute saison, on a près de 12 000 maisons qui sont dans l'eau ». « Ceux qui ont les pieds dans l'eau en toute saison » sont des Cotonois légitimes ; il faudra donc « construire aussi la ville pour eux ».

« Quand nous avons compris cela, nous allons gouverner la ville autrement. Nous allons investir dans nos aménagements autrement. Nous allons prévenir et maintenir les infrastructures naturelles de l'eau autrement », a ajouté le maire.

Agir autrement ...

Cette vision doit aussi se traduire par des décisions concrètes, selon l'édile de Cotonou. Dès son arrivée à la tête de la mairie, les prévisions météorologiques annonçant une saison des pluies précoce l'ont conduit à modifier le calendrier des travaux d'assainissement. « Ma première sortie en février a été de changer le programme de curage. Il était prévu comme d'habitude, un peu plus tard. Nous avons entrepris de curer les caniveaux plus tôt ». Pour illustrer l'impact de cette décision, Luc Gnacadja évoque les fortes précipitations enregistrées le 7 mars. « C'était pratiquement un mois de pluie en une journée. Mais deux heures après, dans la plupart des zones pavées et aménagées, l'eau était partie parce que les caniveaux étaient en état de rendre leur service. C'est cela, le changement que je veux », a indiqué le maire.

Luc Gnacadja entend aussi transformer le fonctionnement de l'administration afin d'anticiper les risques plutôt que d'y répondre dans l'urgence. Il affirme avoir engagé, durant les cent premiers jours de son mandat, un travail d'identification des dysfonctionnements qui ralentissent l'action publique.

Le maire a rappelé que la résilience de Cotonou dépend aussi du comportement des habitants. Selon lui, les déchets ménagers et les gravats déversés dans les caniveaux réduisent les capacités d'écoulement des eaux et aggravent les inondations.

Marc MENSAH